BIO

Alfred Moore was born on the 9th March 1890 at McLaren Vale and joined Norwood from the Gumeracha Football Club in 1909. His name usually appears in newspaper reports of games with Norwood and Gumeracha as C. Moore, a nod to his popular nickname “Clarrie”.

Moore was named in a forward pocket as one of Norwood’s “new men” along with Juniper, for the game against West Adelaide on the 7th June. The Advertiser (7 June 1909, p 9 ) reported that “… Moore, of Kenton Valley, near Gumeracha, is a forward player and about 6 ft in height who makes his debut on this day,” He had earlier played in a pre-season game against Gawler on 29 May at Gawler. 

 On Saturday 12th June against South Adelaide at Norwood it was reported that “Moore performed creditable as goalsneak” (Evening Journal 19 June 1909 p 8)

On the 26th June he featured in Norwood’s victory over West Torrens at the Hindmarsh Oval (7.13 to 5.6) . His fourth and final game for the year was on the 3rd July at Adelaide Oval when Norwood defeated North Adelaide 9.9 to 5.7. 

Moore returned to the Gumeracha Football Club in 1910 where he played as vice captain until he re-joined Norwood in 1913. He played one game during the year against Sturt on 19th July at Unley, for the team’s first victory (8.9 to 7.8) but a leg injury precluded him from playing for the remainder of the season.

In 1914 Moore was named in the pre-season trials for Norwood and was selected in the opening round game against West Adelaide at Norwood on the 2nd May. He lined up against his namesake, the West Adelaide goalsneak Moore, who was dominant in the first half with four goals until Vic Stephens was moved onto him in place of Clarrie. Norwood ran out winners, 8.14 to 6.7 in what was to be Clarrie Moore’s last game for the Redlegs.

Moore enlisted on 1st March 1915  and served with the 27th Infantry Battalion AIF in Gallipoli and the Western Front. He was wounded in action in France in 1916. He was promoted to Lieutenant and later awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre on 21 January 1919.

While stationed in the UK during the war, Moore was selected, along with Norwood's Charles Perry and Ernest Beames, to play in an exhibition Australian Rules game in London on 28 October 1916. Perry captained the Australian Units Training Squad, which included Moore and Beames, against a Third Division Squad led by South Melbourne player B M Sloss. * 

Moore returned to Australia in May 1919 and a report in the Daily Herald (13 July 1919 p 7 ) indicated that “… he was anxious to play for Norths… but the league permit committee declared him eligible to play for his old team”

Alfred Moore married Sylvia Ruth Ellen Pritchard on 25 October 1922 at Unley. He died on 9 October 1968 at Somerton Park, aged 78.

* See 1916 Pioneer Exhibition Game  

R Crompton Nov 2014, W Heading October 2022

Note: Blueseum website refers to an Arthur (Alf) Moore from Norwood playing one game for Carlton in June 1898 against Fitzroy; "Moore who comes from Norwood" (The Leader June 18, 1898, p17) but there is no evidence of a Moore playing senior football at Norwood in the 1890s

 * We thank Tim Hanna, club historian for the Gumeracha Football Club, for further information on A M Moore